A pirates' paradise
by Blue Wolf2
Summary: Jack has fallen ill. While his first mate prays for him to come back, he finds himself in another time and place. A pirates' paradise. While there he runs into an old friend and an enemy.


**A pirate's paradise**

The cabin was dark, with only a few candles giving light to its two occupants. Sobs filled the cold air of the room. Its owner, a woman, leaned over a man's still body that lay on a bed. Tears fell down her cheeks as she spoke in a half commanding, half whimpering voice.

"Jack, come back to me. Please Jack, come back to me."

Anamaria placed a hand on her Captain's cheek. He was cold to the touch. His life force was fading…and fast.

"Daft fool," She muttered to herself, angry at him for putting them in this position.

The storm had come upon them without warning, its wrath catching them all off guard. Both she and Jack had steered the ship at the same time, trying to keep it away from the shoals that threatened to scrape her hull.

The wind was so strong that both first mate and Captain held onto the wheel, trying with all their might to keep her on their desired course. Soon they re-gained control. Handing the wheel over to her, Jack rushed down to the lower deck to help his crew.

Then, out of no where, a wave swept towards them and carried him towards the ocean. The Captain of the _Black Pearl_ had fought to keep his head above water, but the current was just too strong. Within a matter of minutes Jack disappeared under the water.

So Ana did the only thing she knew to do. She went after him. Tying a rope to herself, she jumped into the cold water. After she had pulled him aboard he had coughed up a good amount of water. The crew had taken him to his cabin and the next thing Ana knew, he was lying on his bed unconscious.

The ship's doctor had come and gone, telling Ana all they could do was wait. Wait and pray. Granted, Jack had gone through this a number of times, Ana knew this. So she knew that all Jack had to do, was get past the mental demons that plagued his mind whenever he fell ill. She just hoped he could do it one last time.

Exhausted from her swim in the ocean and sick with worry over her Captain, Ana fell into a dreamless sleep. All the while Jack's mind took him to another time and place.

_The light Caribbean wind woke Jack up. He slowly sat up and looked around confused. All he could figure out was he was on an island somewhere. _But what island?_ He thought as he continued looking around._

_"Paradise Jack," Jack turned towards the voice and his eyes shot up in surprise when he saw who it was._

_"Bootstrap!" He exclaimed._

_"Hello Jack." His old friend said as he approached. Bootstrap offered Jack a hand and helped pull him up from the sand. _

_"I'm not dead am I?" Jack thought, worrying about what it would do to Ana. _

_"No Jack, but she is worried about you."_

_Jack looked at him surprise. "How did you?"_

_Bootstrap laughed. "I know everything Jack Sparrow."_

_"Captain," Jack corrected his old friend._

_Suddenly Bootstrap's face changed to a frown. "You might not be a Captain for much longer Jack." He whispered softly. At Jack's confused look, he continued. "Your body is in paradise, but your mind is not."_

_"What does that mean?" Jack asked, getting a sick feeling in his stomach. _

_"Death and paradise are fighting over you Jack." Bootstrap said, his face drawn with worry. "Death wants you because you're a pirate. There are things in your past that could condemn you to hell." Jack bit his lip. "But paradise knows that deep down inside, you're a good man."_

_"So what do I do?"_

_"You have to make the choice." Seeing Jack's expression he continued. "It's not as easy as it sounds. If there's nothing left for you in the mortal life, your soul will give its self over to hell without a fight." Bootstrap said his voice monotone. "Walk with me Jack."_

_The two friends began walking down the beach. "I'm the only one who can see you." Bootstrap said as they walked. "Paradise is part reality and part not. There are those here who are dead and pure enough to stay, and there are also the souls of those who have the chance to come here once they die."_

_A girls' laugh dragged Jack's attention away from Bootstrap. He saw a young girl, six years old perhaps, running. Her skin was a light brown and her hair a dark black. Jack felt his breath escape him when he realized who it was._

_His child. _

_The child he and Ana would have had, if she had not miscarried. _

_"You're right Jack." Bootstrap said, glancing at his friend. "She's yours, and she's here because she's pure. She's never been touched by evil."_

_"Because she was never born," Jack whispered. "And it was my fault." Bootstrap gave his friend a look as Jack continued. "There was a battle, I couldn't get to Ana in time and she was hit. We lost the child that night." He turned to his friend. "What's her name?"_

_"Pearl," Bootstrap said softly. _

_"Pearl…" Jack repeated the name, smiling. _

_"Love, come here!" _

_Jack's head jerked up in shock. "I know that voice…it's,"_

_"Anamaria." Bootstrap said, finishing the sentence. _

_"But how?" He asked, quickly turned to look at Bootstrap, confusion clouding his eyes._

_"Her soul is what you see Jack. She's here because she's so faithful to you. Hell doesn't want her. She's too good for it. Also, hell's a little scared of her too."_

_"Why doesn't that surprise me?" Jack said laughing. Then, turning to his friend, he spoke again. "You said my soul had to choose, is there anything else to see?"_

"_Yes," Bootstrap said frowning. "You've seen the light of your life, now you must face the darkness."_

_Jack's smile disappeared. "You mean go visit hell."_

_Bootstrap nodded as Jack_ _watched the visions of his lover and their would have been child play in the sand. "Ah well, time to go experience a mutineers paradise." He said softly then closed his eyes, allowing his soul to be taken to hell._

_It was so dark Jack couldn't see his own hands. Not that they would have been any help, considering he didn't know where anything of importance was. The air that his lungs took in felt heavy, constricting his throat, choking him as he breathed. The cold air seeped through his thin shirt, causing him to shiver in the darkness. _

_Suddenly a light flared from a corner. Jack whirled around to see Barbossa holding a lit torch. "Welcome to hell Jack," Barbossa hissed and Jack shuttered._

"_I thought you said hell would never take you." Jack growled to his ex-first mate as they circled each other._

"_I lied. I am a pirate after all." Barbossa said, this time grinning, showing off his rotten teeth. Jack fought the urge to empty the contents of his stomach right there. "What about you Jack Sparrow? Ever lie to anyone?"_

"_It's Cap'n…and why does it matter?"_

"_Remember Jack, ye'r bein' judged." _

_Jack smirked. "Well mate, hell is for mutineers like you, not liars. Otherwise we'd all be in hell."_

_Barbossa chuckled. "Ah yes, that's true. But also remember, some lies are worse than others." Jack rolled his eyes as Barbossa continued. "What does it say about a Captain, when he lies to his first mate?" Barbossa asked, giving the _Black Pearl's_ Captain another sinister grin. _

"_You betrayed me." _

"_Now I'm not talkin' about me mate," Jack scrunched his eyes in confusion. "I'm talkin' 'bout your present one. Anamaria is her name?"_

"_You leave her out of this!" Jack snapped, a dog like growl emitting from deep within his throat._

"_Oh, struck a nerve, have I?" Barbossa said in a teasing voice. "Ya see Jack, there is one thing that condemns those who may not deserve it, to hell. And that's lying to those they deeply love."_

"_I've never lied to Ana." Jack snarled._

"_Oh, but I think ye have." Barbossa said. "What about the time you went into port for the night and when you came back told her you had passed out drunk?" Barbossa questioned._

"_I did pass out." Jack snapped, perhaps too quickly._

"_In the arms of a whore!" Barbossa snapped back. "And then there's the fact that you stole her boat, therefore lying to her about taking it and you've yet to tell her what happened to it…"_

"_But have I betrayed her?" Jack yelled, throwing his arms into the air and Barbossa stopped. "That's what I thought!" _

_Barbossa shook his head. "Give it up Jack, ye won't win."_

"_Oh I think I will." Jack said smiling, remembering something Bootstrap has said._

"_Why? Cause you're Captain Jack Sparrow?" Barbossa snarled in a taunting voice._

"_No…because my first mate is Anamaria."_

Anamaria awoke to Jack thrashing about in his bed. Relief washed over her as she realized this meant he was no longer unconscious. But she knew he still had the fever to fight and of course…his demons.

Murmurings of "I didn't do it." and "You're wrong." escaped his lips as she placed a cool rag on his forehead and held his right arm down as she spoke to him.

"Don't you do this Jack Sparrow. Fight this; you _have_ to fight this Jack." She said her teeth gritted together in frustration.

Then suddenly he laid still again. Jumping up she ran to the door. As she flung it open she yelled into the hall; "SOMEONE GET ME THE DOCTOR!" Noises of crew members moving greeted her ears as she made her way back to Jack's bed.

The doctor entered the room and placed his hand on Jack's head. Ana slinked over to Jack's desk like a wounded dog as Jacob placed blankets on top of Jack and wiped down his forehead. Worry was evident in his eyes as he turned to the female pirate.

"There's little I can do here." Ana cursed silently and turned away; restraining the urge to cry. "He's losing the battle Ana." Jacob whispered softly.

"NO!" Ana snapped. "He can't, he _won't!_ He's Captain Sparrow, he can't!" Jacob quietly exited the cabin, leaving Ana standing over Jack's desk. "DAMNIT!" She yelled and angrily threw her fist down onto the desk.

So…it's come down to this_. Jack thought to himself. _I never thought I'd be the one to choose between heaven and hell.

_Jack's soul was convinced that there was no turning back. His life force was fading and it was time for him to leave the mortal world._

"_So Jack, do we have an accord?" Barbossa asked, grinning. He was ready to return to hell with Jack at his side. For a true mutineer is only happy in hell; and he would have snatched the biggest prize of a human soul, Jack Sparrow._

"_No!" A voice behind them thundered. The two turned to see Bootstrap standing there with an angry look on his face._

"_What the heck are you doin' here?" Barbossa asked. "He belongs to me now."_

"_No he doesn't."_

"_What, you think he belongs to you?" Barbossa taunted. _

"_He belongs to neither of us. He doesn't belong to heaven or hell." Bootstrap said and looked at Jack. "It's not his time."_

"_WHAT DO YOU MEAN IT'S NOT HIS TIME?" Barbossa yelled. "He's on his death bed! He'll be dead within the hour!"_

_Jack watched, somewhat amused as the two fought. "It's not up to us or him whether or not he stays." Bootstrap said._

"_And to who pray tell would it be up to?" _

_Before Bootstrap could answer, Jack heard a familiar voice. "Jack, don't do this Jack." _

"_Ana," Jack whispered. _

_Barbossa looked around confused. "What is going on? What'd you do?" He yelled to Bootstrap. _

_Bootstrap simply smirked. "I didn't do anything. He's being called back to reality." Jack turned to look at his old friend, somewhat confused. Bootstrap nodded. "Go on Jack, go back to her. Your paradise is on earth, not here."_

_Jack nodded, smiling. "Thank ye, for everything. Maybe someday we'll see each other again?" He asked softly._

"_Aye, I can assure you of that."_

_Jack grinned and turned to look at Barbossa. Finding no words he simply shook his head at his ex-first mate. Then turning, he took his first step back into reality._

Ana laid sobbing over Jack's chest. He had stopped breathing not but two minutes ago. Clutching his shirt in her hands, the female pirate grieved.

Then, a miracle happened…

"Ana, luv, you're crushin' me chest." Jack said coughing, bringing Ana away from her state of grief.

"JACK!" Ana exclaimed and wrapped her arms around her pirate lover's neck. "I was so worried." She whispered, tears still in her eyes.

"It's alright luv, I'm not goin' anywhere."

Ana pulled back and looked into Jack's eyes, which seemed to be staring off into the distance. "Jack, where did ye go?" She whispered.

Soon his eyes focused back on her. "Paradise luv…paradise."


End file.
